Power supplies, including power converters adapted to power and/or charge portable electronic devices, often generate excessive heat due to the conversion of power from one form to another. Conventional cooling devices include heatsinks, mechanical cooling fans, heatfins and so forth that are adapted to communicate internal heat to the ambient to keep the device operating within suitable temperature ranges conforming with safety guidelines.
Power converters, such as those adapted to receive a power source having an AC or DC voltage and suitable current, include those that are adapted to power and/charge portable electronic devices including portable computers, MP3 players, digital cameras, cell phones, gaming devices, just to name a few. These converters are extremely compact, and provide a significant amount of power per cubic unit volume of the converter. Conventional power converters providing 75 watts and higher generate significant heat and require cooling to prevent thermal shut down of the device during operation. Conventionally, heatsinks and cooling fins are typically utilized to distribute internally generated heat to the ambient. Some devices include micro fans for increasing ambient air flow across heatsinks. Such mechanical fans are suitable for cooling the power converters, yet add another layer of cost and complexity to the device as they are not solid state mechanisms and are prone to failure.
There is desired an improved power supply having solid state cooling in a compact design, and at a affordable price.